Date: Tue, 16 Aug 94 22:52:42 EDT
From: DavidN1327@aol.com
NEWS RELEASE
For immediate release
Tuesday, August 16, 1994
Contact: Gay and Lesbian Utah Democrats
Post Office Box 11311
Salt Lake City, Utah 84147-0311
(801)461-5058 metropolitan Salt Lake City telephone number
(800)864-0310 national toll-free telephone number
Internet: glud@aol.com
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GLUD to file complaint against judge
SALT LAKE CITY - Gay and Lesbian Utah Democrats leaders announced today that
the group will be filing complaints against Utah 3rd District Judge David
Young for his decision Monday to reduce the sentence of David Thacker who
plead guilty to the Aug. 21, 1993 shooting death in Park City, Utah of
Douglas Koehler, a 31-year-old Salt Lake City gay man.
Faced with a possible murder conviction and sentencing to life-imprisonment
for the killing, Thacker plead guilty earlier this year to manslaughter with
a potential one to 15 years for the killing and an additional one to five
years for the use of a gun in the commission of a crime. Young agreed to a
motion by defense attorney Ron Yengich on Monday to reduce the sentence to a
total of just one to six years. Summit County attorneys and state prison
officials recommended against the reduction.
GLUD leaders said that the group will soon file its complaints against Young
with the American Bar Association, the Utah Administrative Office of the
Courts, the Utah Bar Association, the Utah Judicial Conduct Commission and
the Utah Judicial Council.
"Our complaints will question Judge Young's motivation to reduce the sentence
to less than six years for an admitted killer," GLUD Founder David Nelson
said. "Judge Young almost blamed the victim when he suggested that Koehler
would still be alive if the victim hadn't 'supplied the drugs and alcohol.'"
Thacker has said that after he and his roommate, Clint Crane, spent a night
of drinking and using cocaine with Koehler, the two invited the victim to
their apartment. Thacker took Koehler to his bedroom for a time, but later
kicked Koehler out of the house and told his roommate that the victim had
tried to kiss him.
Thacker and Crane took a .22-caliber revolver and drove four miles to find
Koehler as the victim was walking back to his condominium. Crane testified
that he thought they would scare or beat up Koehler. Yengich said that
Thacker was intoxicated and the gun went off accidentally shooting Koehler
between the eyes.
A rally on the steps of the Utah Capitol Building attracted more than 150
people on Monday night where protesters called for Young's removal from the
bench and cited other recent complaints against the judge from the National
Organization for Women.
GLUD leaders are also attempting to convince county attorneys to classify the
killing as a hate crime. A bill which would strengthen Utah's hate-crimes
laws will be considered by the state Legislature in January.